


From Famine to Feast

by honeybun



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Books, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Filthy Feel Good Fic, Fluff, M/M, Reading, Reading to each other omfg, mild cuddling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-26
Updated: 2017-01-26
Packaged: 2018-09-20 02:01:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9470483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeybun/pseuds/honeybun
Summary: Credence had never been allowed to read books that didn't align themselves with Mary Lou's totalitarian regime, so when he moves in with Mr. Graves he finds himself overwhelmed with choice.Graves is just overwhelmed with Credence but that's another story.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hello <3 
> 
> This was originally a little imagine that I wrote on tumblr~ 
> 
> Find me there @ weepingstar

Credence had never had the pleasure of reading anything other than his ma’s printed sermons, her annotated Bible and the occasional hymn at Christmas. Mary Lou believed anything other than that was conjured to distract you from the Lord’s word and path. Credence usually nods in agreement and tries not to think about the nights he reads a tattered novel he found once on the street, now hidden under a floorboard beneath his bed.

 

So, upon moving into the home of Mr. Graves (for as long as he should wish, forever even, if that’s what he would like, Mr. Graves tells him) he’s quite overwhelmed. For many reasons of course, but especially because Mr. Graves appears to be an avid reader, even has his own library, with books in languages Credence has never heard of, topics he’d never imagined. Credence limits himself to asking to borrow just one book at a time despite Graves’ insistence that anything in the house is his, agonises over which one he should choose this week. Credence reads, and he reads, and he _reads_. 

 

Graves will often find him tucked away in a large armchair by the fire in his study, eyes drooping shut or already closed by the time Graves returns home from work. He knows the boy always has a book in the pocket of the warm wool coat he’d bought him, just in case the opportunity would arise for him to read a few pages. He loves to see his boy sucking and nibbling at the side of his thumb when concentrating especially hard on a particular passage. 

 

Credence reads basic books on magic during the terrible rains that September and October bring, finds time for the occasional classical novel in the month of November, and is keen on either lighthearted works or deeply serious and thought provoking volumes in December. Graves has to warn off Credence from a few things in his library, when the boy had stumbled across _Magick Moste Evile_ he’d told Credence that not all the books were suitable for him to read, but as an auror he’d had to be aware of them. Credence, ever the obedient boy, puts the volume back in it’s place and goes off to find another.

 

Graves is very aware of his little bookworm, has started to gradually add more to his already staggering collection, tries his best to recall books that he loved during his childhood, brings Credence books that had helped him when his mother had died in his early teenage years. Graves firmly clenches Credence’s shoulder when he sees a tear running down his soft cheek at that particular book. Perhaps that hadn’t been the best idea. 

 

So he brings him _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_ , explains he read them when he was a little boy, had them read to him too. Credence enthusiastically nods his sweet little head and goes off to read it straight away, secretly hoping it might give him a peek into Graves’ mind as a young boy. Credence carefully enquires about the prevalence of Hippogriff’s in North America after reading _The Monster Book of Monsters_ , Graves assures him that pigs would fly before Credence encountered a Hippogriff in their home, and not to worry, please. Graves begins to see a trend in Credence’s interest in the magical world, that is to say, unfortunately, Divination. Graves almost throws himself off a bridge when he realises he’s buying Credence a copy of _The Dream Oracle_ as well as _Unfogging the Future_ , thinks he’s not only gone soft for the boy but _entirely_ insane. He picks up a copy of _Famous Fire-Eaters_ \- one of his keen interests as a rowdy fourth year - to balance his purchases out a little.  Upon presenting Credence with the three books, his boy's eyes light up as he immediately goes to read them, Graves finds _Famous Fire-Eaters_ a week later with a bookmark on the second page, the other two Divination books read in their entirety and annotated.  

 

On one particular evening, for whatever reason Graves isn’t quite sure (Credence would surely call it _Fate_ ), he goes to sit next to his boy on the cosy couch in the living room, plucks his most recent love from his fingers, and begins to read aloud to him. 

 

He’s shocked by his own gumption, and at the same time wonders why he’s never done so before. Credence is obviously a little embarrassed at first, telling Graves that he really doesn’t have to, are you sure you _really_ don’t mind, isn’t the book too boring for you Mr. Graves? But once settled and reassured, he rallies quickly, avidly listening to Graves’ deep voice read Charles Dickens to him, snow softly falling outside of the window, the fire embers glowing in the hearth. They pass through several chapters without really realising, sometimes stopping to discuss a certain line or for Credence to ask the meaning of a particular word, more to speak to Graves than from any real curiosity. Credence growing closer and closer to Graves until the boy could almost read the book himself over Graves’ shoulder, Graves also is surprised to find his arm wrapped tightly around the boy’s shoulder, not entirely believing he put it there himself. 

 

Graves tells Credence they should finish the book before Christmas, together. 

 

Although Graves holds several medals for bravery amongst other things, had won a fair few trophies in his days at Ilvermorny and beyond, and as the Director of Magical Security and head of MACUSA’s Magical Law Enforcement, one might say he was an accomplished man. However, if you were to ask Graves himself, he would say his greatest accomplishment was this, taking a previously broken boy and slowly putting him back together, reminding him of human compassion and gentleness, it would be the feeling of Credence’s head resting on his shoulder as he reads to him, snow still falling outside but not a chill felt between the two of them. 

 


End file.
